London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Wandsworth 1887
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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THE BOARD OF WORKS FOR THE WANDSWORTH DISTRICT.
THE BOARD OF WORKS FOR THE WANDSWORTH DISTRICT.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ADDRESSED BY THE MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH FOR THE WANDSWORTH DISTRICT TO THE MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH OF THE UNDERMENTIONED TOWNS.
| What plan of Notification is in force in your town ? | Do you regard yours as the best system of Notification ; or what other plan would you prefer ? | Does the plan work without friction with Householders or Medical Practitioners ? | Have many cases occnrred in which legal penalties require to be enforced against persons refusing to notify ? | REMARKS. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABERDEEN (Dr. Thomson). | Yes | * | • | No; I should prefer compulsory on both | There is occasional friction | No cases | We have had no trouble with the medical practitioners except in so far as they complain to me that their patients threaten to leave them it they notify infectious disease to us. I have not, however, had a case of a medical practitioner reiusing to notify or wilfully neglecting to do so. I should prefer the householder to have to notiry jointly with the practitioner, because then the householder will reaise better than he does at present that his doctor must report the case. His having to do so would, I think, make the task easier for his doctor and remove from the weaker or more needy members of the profession the temptation (no doubt often a strong one) to conceal the case |
| ACCRINGTON (Dk T. Milne, M.O.H.) | On both | Yes | So far there has not been the slightest friction | No case of refusal to notify has come to the knowledge of the authority | |||
| ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE. (Dr. Hughes). | Compulsory on practitioner, Fee 2/6 per case paid. | consider this plan works well enough | It does, certainly | None | |||
| BARROW-in-FURNESS (Dr. Settle). | On both . | Yes | Householders never report where a medical man is in attendance, but there has been no attempt to evade the Act | None | |||
| BIRKENHEAD (Dr. Vacuer). | On both | Yes | Yes | The L.A. has never prosecuted anyone | |||
| BLACKBURN (Dr. Stephenson) | On both | Our system is very good | Not quite | Only one | |||
| BLACKPOOL (Dr. Welch) | On both | Our plan works smoothly— chiefly, I believe, because 1 am not engaged in general practice. My predecessor, who was in practice, had some difficulty occasionally. Practically I receive the notification from the medical man only | " * | For the last 5 years I have only had some 6 cases notified by householder, nevertheless 1 think it right that some responsibility should be thrown upon the householder who in fact is morally the only person who owes this duty to the State | |||
| BOLTON (Dr. Serjeant). | On both | The medical practitioner, except in a very few cases, takes the responsibility of reporting, and further notification from the householder is rendered unnecessary | |||||
| BRADFORD (Dr. Hime). | Compulsory on practitioner lo notify to parent | Ou householder to notify directly if no doctor, and if there is a doctor, to forward his notification | On both | Yes | Yes, entirely so | Not one | [ think our method much the best, and it is most acceptable to medical men. They feel that they are only notifying to the parents; but as a matter of practice, 99 per cent. of the forms are posted to me direct by the doctors, who do this to oblige and save delay by the neglect of ignorant parents. Everything depends ou the tact and good repute of the M.O.U., and ou his not being in practice |
| BURNLEY. (Dr. Dean). | Yes. | Yes | Not both, but either | Yes | Yes | None | |
| BURTON-ON-TRENT (Dr. Perks). | Compulsory on both practitioners and householders, but we only enforce the former | Yes | Yes, practically | Not one | |||
| CHADDERTON (Dr. Patterson). | Ou both | Yes | No trouble with the doctors the cottagers are ignorant of the law and don't report. We intend to circulate a handsome almanack containing information on this point | I am not aware that any person of knowledge has refused to notify | |||